Coercion

In Alka Joshi's debut novel, The Henna Artist, she tells the story of forced marriage in India – from a powerless 15-year-old Lakshimi being told to to marry a man who spent most of his time in village sleeping and eating, to her bold move to escape three years after the abusive marriage, and her subsequent life a henna artist. 

To me as a non-Indian, Lakshimi's plight in 1950s seemed ridiculous, and yet also like something that we might be falling prey to nowadays. Think about blind recruitment, when a corporate top manager forced or coerced a hiring team to take up unmatched candidates simply to fill any vacant position. 

A total loss of autonomy. A threat to the alignment of the hiring team's standard with applicant's competence. 

So, if you think The Henna Artist is a historical fiction, be prepared for the sense of déjà vu when you find yourself sharing the same fate as Lakshimi.